The Man in The Shack
by PygmyCritter
Summary: On a trip to Hogsmeade, the group sees a man watching them from a window in the Shrieking Shack.  Who is he?  Why is he there and how did he get in? AU


"I need you to do me a huge favor." Hermione whispered as she dragged Brenda off to the girl's dorm.

"You want someone whacked?" Brenda asked, sounding very serious. "Who is it? Ron? Harry? Oh, I know! That girl in your potions class that stepped on your foot the other day!" she nodded. "Yeah, that girl totally has it coming."

"What?" Hermione asked completely confused.

"You're standing there, dragging me off for a secret talk, all shifty-eyed, and being very...odd." the older girl pointed out. "I kind of expect you to you ask me to whack someone."

"I think you watch too many movie." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Anyhow, I still want to ask you for a favor."

"I'm intrigued." Brenda said, tilting her head as she spoke. "Continue."

"I wanted to spend some time...alone...with...someone, when he go to Hogsmead." she explained nervously, cheeks burning bright red.

"Ooooh I see how it is!" Brenda smiled devilishly. "Ron?"

"No."

"Harry?"

"No."

"Do I have to keep guessing?" Brenda asked.

"It is a Weasley." Hermione said very quietly, not making eye contact.

"A Weasley who isn't Ron?" Brenda asked in complete surprise. "Wow."

"Will you?"

"Will I what?" Brenda asked. "You haven't said what you want me to do." she reminded her young friend. "You want me to keep the others distracted while you and...well either George, Fred or Ginny, go off somewhere for a little alone time?"

"Fred, and yes." Hermione let out a long breath. "This is ridiculous, isn't it?" she asked, become more nervous. "It won't work at all...and it's just wrong..."

"Hermione, calm down, take a deep breath." Brenda laughed as she brought the girl to her own room. "So you and Fred are an item? Or are you testing the waters?"

"Testing...I think." Hermione answered. "But it's so hard to get any time by ourselves here. The group is always around."

"Yeah, I know." Brenda said as she made Hermione sit down on the bed. "So, I'll keep the boys and Ginny distracted, you and your lover-boy go off and have some fun testing those waters."

"How will you do that?" Hermione asked, clutching a pillow to her chest.

"Oh, leave that to me." she waved her hand. "George will be a bit tricky...that whole twin thing and all...but I'm sure it can be done."

"Thank you!" Hermione said, giving Brenda a hug.

"No problem." Brenda replied with a smile. "You'll just owe me all the details."

* * *

"So..." Fred started as he and Hermione walked along.

"So.." Hermione nodded.

"The others, they're going to be kept busy?" he asked.

"Yeah." she nodded. "Brenda said she'd make sure of it."

"Good." he smiled. He felt like a bit of an idiot, having to have someone keep his brothers and friends distracted so he could spend time with a girl. But then again, it wasn't just any girl. It was Hermione after all.

"So, what do you want to do?" she asked as she shoved her hands into her coat pockets and began to play with the lint she found in them.

"Umm..well..." he said, scratching his head.

"This is so silly." Hermione laughed nervously. "Not us...no." she shook her head at his look of concern. "The fact that we have known one another for years and yet we're so nervous right now."

"Yeah, I guess it is a bit silly." he agreed with a smirk. "Hey! I heard they got some brilliant new stuff in at Zonkos...wanna go check it out?"

"How dangerous is it supposed to be?" Hermione asked.

"Not really at all." he assured her. "There is some fun spy stuff though."

"All right." she laughed.

"Maybe after we can go to Madam Puddifoot's?" he asked, thinking that would be more to her liking.

"You at Madam Puddifoot's?" she asked in surprise.

"Well Zonkos isn't really top of your list of places to visit." he pointed out. "So, this way we're even." he smiled.

"Thank you." she said, blushing slightly.

"Come on before the others catch up!" he said as he grabbed her hand and quickly headed off to the joke shop.

* * *

"Where are Fred and Hermione?" Ron asked as he looked around, realizing that he hadn't seen them in half an hour at least.

"Don't know." Harry shrugged.

"I'm sure they'll wander back sooner or later." Brenda said, starting to wish she hadn't been the one who Hermione asked for help. "Come on. I wanna go hang out by the Shack."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"I haven't gotten to see it much." she explained. "Have you brilliant Weasley's figured out how to get in there without being attacked by a tree?" she asked as she shooed the group towards the shack.

"Not yet." Ron answered.

"But soon..." George added. "There must be another way in."

"Or a spell we can use to get in." Ron said.

"It's kind of pretty." Brenda said as they approached and she bent her head back and stared up at it.

"Pretty?" Ginny asked, wondering if they were looking at the same thing.

"Yeah." she nodded. "I wish I could get inside."

"We're working on it." George assured her as he and his brother made their way around the house, looking yet again for an entrance they could use.

Brenda took a few steps back and continued to stare up at the front of the house.

"Watch out, Brenda!" Ginny said as she watched the girl step onto a rock, twist her ankle and fall to the ground.

"Ouch!" she hissed as she reached down and rubbed her ankle.

"How have you not killed yourself already?" George asked with a laugh as he helped her to her feet.

"You're not the first to ask that." she said as she carefully put weight on her foot. "A whole week without any accidents, all gone." she sighed as she brushed herself off.

"Some stuff fell out of your pockets." Harry said as he stooped to pick up a packet of tissues, lip balm, a comb and a small tube of hand lotion.

"Thanks." she said, holding her hand out to take the things back. "Harry?" she asked when she saw that something had his attention. "What's wrong?"

"Do you see someone in that upstairs window?" he asked, nodding towards the house.

Brenda and the others turned to see figure by the window. It appeared to be a man, very thin, long dark hair covering his face. He looked back at them for a moment, and slowly moved away out of their site.

"That was really creepy." Ron said, swallowing hard.

"Come along!" Professor McGonagall called out. "It's time we're heading back."

The group looked up at the window once more, but the man was gone.

"How did he get in there?" Ginny asked.

"Does he have food?" Brenda asked.

"Who is he?" Harry asked.

"When can we get a chance to investigate?" George asked with a smile.

"What?" Ron was surprised.

"Oh come on, Ron." Brenda laughed. "We see a guy in the Shack, looking like he's nothing but skin and bone, and you don't think we're gonna try to figure out who he is and why he's there?"

"How are we supposed to get in there?" he asked. "The only way in is through the willow."

"We'll figure something out." George said. "Where have you two been?" he asked as he caught site of the pair.

"Zonkos." Fred shrugged. "Got some brilliant stuff." he said as he held up a bag.

"I went to the quill shop and then to Honeyduke's." Hermione said.

"Get anything good?" Brenda asked.

"Some chocolate frogs." she said. "And a few other things."

"You have pink confetti in your hair." Brenda whispered to her as she quickly picked a few pieces out.

"Oh!"

"What were you lot talking about when we came up?" Fred asked, running his hand through his hair to make sure he didn't have any of the offensive confetti in it.

"Someone's in the Shack." George said quietly.

"What?" Hermione asked in surprise. "Who? Why?"

"We'll figure that out." George smiled. "Don't worry.

The group headed off making their way back to the school, looking back towards the shack one more time. They all smiled at one another, eager to solve this little mystery.


End file.
